Overcoming Your Fears

I love writing and talking about fear because it’s an emotion I’ve had a chance to face so many times – in acrobatics and in daily life too. I think the way you deal with fear transcends the content, the situation, the person. That’s because I believe that fear is a catalyst for change – and anyone or anything can be a catalyst.

If you are stuck in the rut of fear, know that you’re probably on your way out. Why is that, if you feel stuck? If you can think of a situation that makes you scared AND you know you’re stuck, it means that you have already risen a level of consciousness. In other words, you are not only afraid and stuck but unaware that you are stuck. Make sense?

The transformation of fear is the process of increasing awareness and then being able to execute conscious choice. Responding (able to respond) versus reacting (doing whatever the hell first comes to mind) is the difference, and the goal. I don’t believe in such a thing as “no fear” – unless you’re dead. If you have a pulse, then at some point in your life, you’ll be scared.

I’ve seen plenty of professional acrobats walk away from a jump, turn down a good chance to flip, and save the big move for another day. That includes me. You would think if there was one fearless group of people in this world, it would be an acrobat or a Navy Seal. I don’t have any Navy Seal friends, but all my acrobat friends have had their moments. That leads me to believe that no one is fearless (without fear completely).

What does this mean for you? It means you can jettison the emotional obligation of living up to a fictitious idol and breathe a sigh of relief as you acknowledge all your fears as normal, natural, and, get this, healthy. Why healthy of all things? Because fear is a great protector, a built in response to protect you from something that you perceive is dangerous.

Maybe you’re scared of a spider. You might say, I know spiders are harmless, so what is my fear protecting me from? I didn’t say that fears were rational or logical, but the mechanism is sound – protection. Rejoice in that! Be grateful that an emotion in you is there to serve you despite how silly it might be.

There’s more to say, but in the next post, I’ll reveal the fears I’ve had, the fears I have, and what I did or am doing about them

In Health and Love,

Alvin.

Appreciation

Lynn Twist, in her presentation about her book called “The Soul of Money” said “that which you appreciate, appreciates.” When things are tough, like your bank account, or losing a job, or facing rising costs, it’s easy to fall into a mindset of scarcity, the idea that there’s simply not enough to go around. Lynn talks about how this mentality drives us into hoarding, competition, and fear.

I remember the times I had to audition for a show – and I never had a feeling of competition. It wasn’t because I didn’t care to succeed – it was simply because I knew that I would do my best, and if they picked me it was because I was right for the job. If they didn’t, then I knew my skills would be better in another project.

I thought this way because I didn’t know any better – for those of you who don’t know my background, I started acrobatics when I was 19, with zero knowledge of the performing circus world. In other words, I just went out there and had fun, and anything that came my way, I was grateful for. Ironically, I got everything I needed, though not everything I wanted (or thought I wanted).

Which brings me back Lynn’s words: that which you appreciate, appreciates. If you focus on what you are or have, she says, it will expand. Christmas is a funny time of year – a time of giving, sharing – but suddenly what happens when you don’t get that gift you wanted? What happens if plans change and the family doesn’t get together (or worse, gets together!)? The heavily accented mood of this holiday emphasizes everything you get and don’t get.

My suggestion to you in the next few days… find the simplest thing you can appreciate and spend a minute saying a prayer, meditating on your gratitude, or acknowledging it in your own way. It could be something you overlook daily, like the car you drive, the roof over your head, the computer you read this blog on… Here is one thing we all have to be grateful for absolutely: the fact that you breathe and can read this letter. Cheers to that!

Merry Christmas,

Alvin.